Chapter 21: California

It was as if Mary Jane was the fire holding the winter at bay, warming the city of New York just enough to keep the worst of winter from marauding the city. Once she was gone, winter descended upon the city with a bitter vengeance.

Spider-Man made his rounds through the city, venturing out into one of the many snow storms attacking his fair city. Temperatures plunged into the single digits and as the sun dipped behind the tall skyscrapers, the temperatures dipped further.

It was a Thursday night but that meant nothing to Spider-Man. He hadn't the faintest clue as to what day it was, but he could tell you exactly how many days (hours and even minutes) had passed since Harry Osborne had used his last name to pull strings on Mary Jane's behalf. Thirty-six days, ten hours and twenty-six minutes had passed since Mary Jane was transferred to one of the leading head trauma centers in the United States... a trauma center that, conveniently enough, was located on the opposite side of the country: California. It was Peter Parker who had found the treatment center and it was Peter Parker who convinced Harry Osborne that this treatment center would bring Mary Jane back. Only Peter knew that it wasn't the treatment center that would fix her; rather, it was the distance from New York that would dispel the darkness plaguing her.

Spider-Man travelled down Main Street, swinging from weblines attached to the icy skyscrapers looming over the frozen city. He held tight onto a webline and as his body swung through the air and dipped from the pendulum swing, the line went taught and snapped. He dropped from the sky and fell into the empty, snowy street below.

"What the-" Calmly (and somewhat sheepishly) he walked from the street and stepped onto the sidewalk. He shot a webline at the frozen ground and when one end attached itself to the ice, he yanked on it. The line immediately snapped and shattered into a hundred pieces of glittering ice. The subzero temperatures were proving to be too great an adversary for his organic webbing.

"Great. I guess patrolling is done for the night." Exasperated, Spider-Man began the long walk back to Gwen's apartment.

The long walk allowed Spider-Man time to reflect. Harry had followed Mary Jane to California and while a part of him was uneasy about this, a part of him was glad for it. If Harry was in California, he was safe from his father's influence. Peter looked up to Harry's father, Norman Osborne, but he wasn't so blind by his affections to not see the changes happening in Norman's demeanor. Norman's sarcastic yet caring personality was being warped; making way for a more sinister, dangerous, streak that had begun to reveal its wicked head more often than not. With Harry in California, Gwen and Peter were able to stay abreast on Mary Jane's recovery. Spider-Man recalled Harry's phone call late one morning, just two days after their arrival in California:

"Pete! You're never going to believe this! I don't know what they did to her but it's working-" Harry had spoken feverishly with unbridled excitement, "She's up and walking around! She's back to normal!"

Shriek had been right. The darkness couldn't follow her outside of New York. Behind the mask, Peter smiled as he remembered Harry's words. He imagined the vivacious redhead waking up, her beautiful face illuminated by the curl of her smile, the glow of the California sun brushing against her delicate lily-white skin.

Just the simple thought of her smile warmed Spider-Man's trembling body. He felt the warmth of her fire warming his soul and for a moment, New York felt like New York again. But it wasn't New York - it was a frigid wasteland.

Life with Gwen was a good life; it was predictable, calm, normal. Had he never been bitten by a radioactive spider in one of OsCorp's laboratories, Peter knew that life with Gwen would have been the life he wanted. But like Jekyll and Hyde, Peter was no longer just one man: he was two men, he lived two lives and that bred a multitude of problems all on its own. While Peter longed for a simple life with Gwen, Spider-Man longed for something - or someone - different.

Peter changed out of his costume and emerged from the alleyway near Gwen's apartment, stuffing his mask into the back pocket of his jeans as he walked towards the building. He slipped his key into the entrway of the building then made his way up the stairs, choosing the stairs over the elevator in an attempt to warm himself.

"Hey, Gwen!" He shouted into the apartment as he unlocked the front door and walked inside. Although she didn't respond, he could hear the shower running and her off-key singing above the gurgling water. He chuckled.

As he passed the kitchen table, Gwen's phone began to ring. He stopped and looked down at the phone.

"MJ" - two letters flashed upon the screen of the phone. He reached down then stalled, heart pounding in his throat. Before the voicemail could pick up, he answered the phone and pressed it to his ear.

"H-hello?" He spoke into the phone, keeping his voice low so Gwen couldn't hear it over the shower.

"Hey, Pete!" Mary Jane's cheerful voice rang clear over the phone line. The sheer emotion that passed over him in that instant nearly forced him to drop the phone from his hand.

"Hey, MJ." He willed his voice to stay even keel, "What's up?"

"Noooothing," She laughed, "I hope you haven't already claimed my room because... guess who's been cleared by the clinic to come home next week!"

Panic gripped Peter's throat, "I don't think that's a good idea, Mary Jane."

Again, she laughed. Surely she thought he spoke in jest. "Ha ha, very funny, Peter. I hope you two haven't gotten too used to having the apartment to yourselves."

"No, I'm not joking, MJ. I really don't think that's a good idea." He gritted his teeth as the lies began to unfurl from his tongue, "You know, life is easier now that you're gone. Gwen is so much happier... you put us all through a lot."

He knew this moment would come. He had vowed to make sure she stayed safe, even if that meant she would hate him in the end - but regardless of any vows, the words that spewed from his mouth intent on burning her, burned him just as badly.

"We're both really glad that you're okay now but -" It was time to deliver the fatal blow: "Life is a lot better for Gwen without you here."

Silence. And then the line went dead...

Weeks passed surprisingly quick for Peter. Weathermen and New Yorkers alike cursed the "Polar Vortex" that sent their beloved city into a miniature ice age but in time, the weather, just like Peter's life, returned to normal. Peter's bruises healed as New York's crime rate plummeted to an all-time low and for the first time in years, Peter began to venture out into the world without the Spider-Man suit hidden beneath his clothes.

By the time spring had erupted in blessed color throughout the city, Peter had become a permanent fixture in Gwen's apartment.

Life was good for Peter Parker. Life was good for the entire gang: Peter, Gwen, Mary Jane and Harry. Even Norman Osborne seemed to be improving as OsCorp made rapid gains in their research for the government. Peter's hurtful words had succeeded in keeping Mary Jane away from New York. Harry told him that the two of them had moved in together and things were going well - Mary Jane's acting career was beginning to take off and Harry had even started an OsCorp subsidiary company based in Los Angeles. Gwen was offered a full-time job at OsCorp, a job that she juggled amazingly well with school, and it seemed that on the surface, Peter was the only one who remained unchanged. Still juggling two part-time jobs, OsCorp and the Daily Bugle, as well as school, Peter's life seemed the same and yet, the quality of it had improved drastically. Gone were the stressful days of juggling two part-time jobs, school and the full-time job as Spider-Man - now he only focused on life as Peter Parker: straight A student, model employee, caring nephew and boyfriend.

Six Months Later

Life with Harry is a good life; it is unpredictable, fun, anything but normal. Daily, he reminds me that I'm only twenty and as such, I should act like it. He's handsome, rich, carefree, and he loves me with such a devoted ferocity that I'm almost frightened by it.

Life in California is a whirlwind of parties, business soirees and leading roles in big name productions. Under California's golden rays, I blossomed. This is the life that I always dreamed of as a little girl.

So, tell me reader: why do I feel so empty?

"I miss you too, Gwendy," I smiled at my reflection, pretending for a moment that Gwen stood in my place in the mirror rather than thousands of miles away in New York. Six months had passed since I had seen my best friend's face and while we spoke on the phone daily, my heart was nevertheless broken from the distance. "The director released our touring schedule last night. I'll be in New York in two months!" I held the phone away from my ear as Gwen screamed in excitement.

Harry passed behind me, mindlessly brushing his teeth. He stopped for a moment to stare at the screaming phone held away from my ear, his eyes wide in confusion and surprise. I mouthed Gwen's name and he chuckled, shaking his head.

I pressed the phone to my ear again, laughing, " October 23rd, pencil us into your busy schedule! We'll be in New York for a week and you, my dear, aren't leaving my side!"

We said our "I love you's" and goodbyes then hung up. I turned back to the mirror and stared at my reflection. I wondered if I looked any different. My hair was longer, its red hue lighter from the salt water and sun. I smoothed my hands down my slender waist, gaze falling upon my long, tan legs. My pale skin was darker, a spackling of freckles dusted across the bridge of my nose and the tops of my bare shoulders. I was the same woman from New York yet, I was different. I felt it in my soul: life in California had changed me, for better or worse.

Harry pushed back the curtains in our bedroom, radiant sunlight illuminating the expanse of the room. He opened the window and breathed in the fresh ocean air then exhaled deeply.

"Let's live here forever." He turned from the window, smiling broadly. I turned from the mirror and smiled at him despite the pin-pricks of momentary fright that passed through me, brought on by the mere use of 'forever.'

"I don't know about forever," I closed my eyes and listened to the sound of waves crashing against the rocks just outside our home. My body swayed with the music of the ocean. "But I wouldn't mind living here for a while."

Harry laughed, just as he always laughed at my non-committal, breezy comments. As my eyes were closed, he crossed the room and took me into his arms, swaying with me, our bodies dancing to the music of the sea and sun, of love and youth.